Enabling access to an application through a network portal

ABSTRACT

Systems and techniques to enable access of an application through a network portal to integrate that network application into the portal services provided to a user. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes using a template to identify a correspondence between a first parameter associated with a portal and a second parameter associated with a network resource and to generate a network address for the network resource, where the network address includes a value for the first parameter.

[0001] The following relates to flexibly integrating applications, forexample, enabling access of an application through a network portal.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A user can use a browser to access content distributed onnetworks, such as the Internet. A user typically accesses the networkwith a client device that runs the browser. The browser uses a networkresource indicator, such as a universal resource locater (“URL”), tofind and access desired content. The browser sends a request to a webserver and receives back a response, typically an HTML file, for displayon the client. The user can also use a URL to launch an applicationhosted by the web server that is available over a network.

[0003] A portal is a network resource that serves as a gateway and/oranchor point for a user. The portal provides information about thenetwork and/or network services to the user. Services offered by aportal can include a network directory, a facility to search for othernetwork resources, and the display of content, such as news, weatherinformation, schedules, stock quotes and the like, from other networkresources. An enterprise information portal is a type of portal thatserves as a gateway to resources on an enterprise's network. Forexample, a corporation may have a corporate portal to access thecompany's information and knowledge base. The corporate portal can beaccessible to employees, customers, business partners, and/or thegeneral public. Portals can be customized and/or personalized. Forexample, the portal can determine the particular content (e.g., certainportions of a data source) that is displayed and/or how that content isdisplayed. The portal can base this determination on the user, theclient, and/or the requested content.

SUMMARY

[0004] The present application teaches enabling access of an applicationthrough a network portal. In one aspect, there is a method that includesidentifying, with a template, a correspondence between a first parameterassociated with a portal and a second parameter associated with anetwork resource and generating, using the template, a network addressfor the network resource, the network address including a value for thefirst parameter. In other examples, the method can further includeparsing the template, identifying the first parameter and determiningthe value for the first parameter. The method can also includeidentifying a third parameter associated with the portal, determining asecond value for the third parameter, and inserting the second valueinto the network address. Inserting can include concatenating.

[0005] The method can also include determining the value for the firstparameter based on a user, a client device, and/or the portal. Themethod can include copying the template, determining the value for thefirst parameter, and replacing the first parameter with the value. Themethod can include transmitting the network address to a networkbrowser. The method can include transmitting the network address to anetwork browser as part of source code.

[0006] The method can include generating a portion of a displayassociated with the portal using the source code. The parameters caninclude a transaction code, a client definition, an accessibilityrequirement, a style definition, and/or user credentials. The format ofthe template can include a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) format. Theformat of the template can also include a URL format in accord withhttp.

[0007] In another aspect, there is a method including generating atemplate for use by a network portal, the template being associated witha network application and including a correspondence between a firstparameter associated with the network portal and a second parameterassociated with the network application. In other examples, the methodcan include transmitting the template to the network portal. Theparameters can include a transaction code, a client definition, anaccessibility requirement, a style definition, and/or user credentials.The network application can be a backend application. The format of thetemplate can include a URL format. The format of the template can alsoinclude a URL format in accord with http.

[0008] In another aspect, there is a system including a storagecomponent and an integration component. The storage component has atemplate including a correspondence between a first parameter associatedwith a portal and a second parameter associated with a network resource.The integration component is configured to use the template to generatea network address for the network resource wherein the network addressincludes a value for the first parameter.

[0009] The integration component can be further configured to parse thetemplate, to identify the first parameter and to determine the value forthe first parameter. The value can be a first value and the integrationcomponent can be further configured to identify a third parameterassociated with the portal, to determine a second value for the thirdparameter, and to insert the second value into the network address. Theintegration component can be further configured to concatenate the firstvalue and the second value.

[0010] The value for the parameters can be based on a user, a clientdevice, and/or the portal. The integration component can be furtherconfigured to copy the template, to determine the value for the firstparameter, and to replace the first parameter with the value. Theintegration component can be further configured to transmit the networkaddress to a network browser. The integration component can be furtherconfigured to transmit the network address to a network browser as partof source code.

[0011] The system can also include a client configured to generate aportion of a display associated with the portal using the source code.The parameters can include a transaction code, a client definition, anaccessibility requirement, a style definition, and/or user credentials.The format of the template can include a URL format. The format of thetemplate can also include a URL format in accord with http.

[0012] In another aspect, there is a method including generating anetwork address including user credentials in a query portion of thenetwork address and generating source code to cause an encrypted networkrequest using a command that causes a network server to not log thequery portion of the network address. In other examples, the method caninclude transmitting the network address and the source code to thenetwork browser.

[0013] The network address can be a first network address, and themethod can further include generating a second network addressassociated with a redirect request and transmitting the first networkaddress to a browser in response to the redirect request. The redirectrequest can include an identifier. The method can include generatingreplacement source code in response to the redirect. The method caninclude generating source code to cause an encrypted network request inaccord with hypertext transfer protocol over secure socket layer(“https”) and/or in accord with secure hypertext transfer protocol(“s-http”).

[0014] The method can include generating source code to cause a terminalemulator connection between the network browser and a computing devicehosting a requested resource. The method can include generating sourcecode including an applet. The method can include identifying, with atemplate, a correspondence between a first parameter associated with aportal and a second parameter associated with a network resource. Themethod can include using the template to generate the network address.

[0015] The command can include an http POST command. The network addresscan include a uniform resource locator (“URL”). The source code caninclude hypertext markup language (“HTML”) and/or extensible markuplanguage (“XML”).

[0016] In another aspect, there is a method including generating anetwork address including user credentials in a query portion of thenetwork address and generating an encrypted network request using acommand that causes a network server to not log the query portion of thenetwork address. In other examples, the method can include transmittingthe network address and the source code to the network browser.

[0017] The network address can be a first network address, and themethod can include generating a second network address associated with aredirect request and transmitting the first network address to a browserin response to the redirect request. The redirect request can include anidentifier. The method can include generating replacement source code inresponse to the redirect request. The method can include transmittingthe encrypted network request over a network in accord with https and/orin accord with s-http.

[0018] The method can include establishing a terminal emulatorconnection between the network browser and a computing device hosting arequested resource. The method can include employing an applet. Themethod can include identifying, with a template, a correspondencebetween a first parameter associated with a portal and a secondparameter associated with a network resource. The method can includegenerating the network address further comprises employing a template.The command can include a POST command. The network address can includea URL. The source code can include HTML and/or XML.

[0019] In another aspect, there is a system including an integrationcomponent. The integration component is configured to generate sourcecode in response to a request. The source code includes a networkaddress, a first portion, and a second portion. The network address hasuser credentials in a query portion of the network address. The firstportion causes a network browser to generate an encrypted networkrequest using a command that causes a network server to not log thequery portion of the network address. The second portion causes aredirect at a network browser.

[0020] In other examples, the integration component is furtherconfigured to transmit the source code to the network browser. Thenetwork address can be a first network address, and the source code canalso include a second network address associated with a network portalfor the redirect. The redirect can include an identifier. Theintegration component can be further configured to generate replacementsource code in response to the redirect. The encrypted network requestcan be in accord with https and/or s-http.

[0021] The system of claim 1 further comprising generating source codeto cause a telnet connection between the network browser and a computingdevice hosting a requested resource. The integration component can befurther configured to generate additional source code to cause a telnetconnection further comprises generating source code comprising anapplet. The integration component can be further configured to identify,with a template, a correspondence between a first parameter associatedwith a portal and a second parameter associated with a network resource.The integration component can be further configured to employing thetemplate. The command can include a POST command. The network addresscan include a URL. The source code can include HTML and/or XML. Thesystem can also include a client having the network browser.

[0022] In another aspect, there are one or more articles comprising amachine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one ormore machines to perform any combination of the method operationsdescribed above.

[0023] Details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features andadvantages may be apparent from the description and drawings, and fromthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] These and other aspects will now be described in detail withreference to the following drawings.

[0025]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a communication network includinga portal.

[0026]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a client display including aplurality of views through a portal.

[0027]FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process for generating a URL.

[0028]FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing a process for securely passingusing credentials, via a URL, in an existing frame.

[0029]FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing a process for securely passingusing credentials, via a URL, in a new frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The systems and techniques described here relate to enabling abrowser to pass user-specific and/or portal-specific values for certainparameters to a desired network application launched using a uniformresource indicator (“URI”). In general, when a portal receives a requestfor a desired network application from a client, the portal employs atemplate, as described in more detail below, that includes parametersassociated with that desired network application. The portal obtainsuser-specific and/or portal-specific values for the template parametersand generates a URL with those specific values to launch the networkapplication. The portal transmits the generated URL to the client sothat the client can launch the application. By passing user-specificand/or portal-specific data to the network application, the output ofthe application appears on the client as an integral part of theclient's portal display.

[0031]FIG. 1 illustrates a communication network 100. Communicationnetwork 100 represents a network of a corporate enterprise. A user(e.g., employee) employs a client 105 to access resources (e.g.,corporate data, corporate applications, Internet resources) usingnetwork 100. Client 105 executes a browser application 110 to access andinterface with the network resources. Browser 110 initially communicateswith corporate portal 115, executing on server 120, via the network 125.Network 125 can be, for example the Internet, the enterprise intranet,and the like. Portal 115 generates and transmits an initial page toclient 105.

[0032]FIG. 2 illustrates client 105 displaying a page received fromportal 115 (FIG. 1). Client 105 includes a display 200 having severalportions 210 a, 210 b, 210 c, 210 d, and 210 e, generally 210. Theseportions 210, also referred to as views 210, each display data to a userof client 105. A view 210 is a graphical user interface that displaysdata in a frame located at a predetermined location within display 200.For example, view 210 a can display a user's calendar, view 210 b candisplay a user's email account, view 210 c can display a pie chart ofthe corporation's sales, view 210 d can display a pie chart of theuser's department's sales, and view 210 e can display financialinformation, such as stock price, for companies that the user hasselected. The data displayed in each of the views 210 can be fromdifferent sources. Additionally, a single view (e.g., 210 a) can displaydata from more than one source. A view 210 can also display outputproduced by a network application executing on a different server (i.e.,not client computer 105 or server 120 (FIG. 1) executing portalapplication 115).

[0033] Even though the data displayed may come from disparate sources, aservice portal 115 provides coordinating and customizing views 210 sothat the views 210 have a consistent and personalized look and feel(“LAF”) for the user. For example, portal 115 can coordinate colors andfonts so that everyone using the corporate portal sees the samecoordinated views according to the corporate layout. Portal 115 cancoordinate the location of the views 210 by defining the frames for eachview 210 in which client 105 displays the associated data. Portal 115can define the size and location of the frame and can provide to browser110 a network address, such as a URL, from which browser 110 canretrieve data to display in the defined frame.

[0034] Portal 115 can also coordinate the LAF of views 210 based on thetype of computing device client 105 comprises. For example, if a useraccesses network 100 (FIG. 1) employing a handheld computing device(e.g., personal digital assistant, wireless phone), portal 115 can alterthe views to accommodate the smaller display 200 of such handhelddevices. Portal 115 can also maintain and/or have access to usermanagement information so that the views can be personalized based onthe user. For example, this information can be stored in repository 190,to which portal 115 has access. This allows, for example, portal 115 toprovide screen accessibility services to be compliant with Section 508of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. This also allows portal115 to determine content and/or LAF of views 21 based on the role theuser has with respect to the corporation. Views 210 can be based onwhether the user is an employee, a business partner, or a customer.

[0035] In addition to user management information, portal 115 alsomaintains and/or has access to system landscape information. Thisenables portal 115 to access information regarding the systems andarchitecture, such as protocols, access points, and URIs, containing thenetwork resources in which a user is interested. For example, thisinformation can be stored in repository 190, to which portal 115 hasaccess. This also allows portal 115 to combine the user managementinformation with the system landscape information to provide singlesign-on (“SSO”) services to a user. With SSO, once portal 115authenticates a user, portal 115 provides the user credentials to thedisparate data sources for views 210, determining which user credentialsare needed for which network resources requested. The user no longerperforms individual authentication at each of the individual sources.Portal 115 can obtain the necessary user credentials for a desirednetwork resource based on the user management information and the systemlandscape information. As described in more detail below, portal 115 cansecurely pass the user credentials to a network resource in an automatedprocess.

[0036] Referring back to FIG. 1, in network 100, client 105 can accessnetwork application 130 executing on server 135. As illustrated, networkapplication 130 is available through a back-end network 165 via a Webserver 170. Web server 170 serves as an access point to application 130for client 105, which is communicating with Web server 170 via network125. To integrate this background application 130 (e.g., an applicationhosted by a backend system) into the display 200 (FIG. 2), portal 115includes an integration component 180. To launch a network application130 and display the output produced by application 130 in a view 210,integration component 180 generates a URL.

[0037]FIG. 3 illustrates a process 300 of generating a URL in moredetail. Integration component 180 (FIG. 1) receives 305 a request tolaunch network application 130 (FIG. 1). The request 305 can be via ahyperlink in a view 210. Alternatively, the request 305 can come from aview 210 that a user defines and initiates via a view development tool.In response to the request, integration component 180 retrieves 310 atemplate associated with network application 130. The template has theformat

[0038]“<system.access_point.protocol>://<system.access_point.host>/<system.access_point.path>/webgui?˜transaction=<TCode>&˜client=<system.client>&˜accessibility<user.accessibility>&˜style=<LAF.style>&˜.&˜authentication=<user.user_credentials>”.

[0039] The template follows the general format of a URL for a systememploying hypertext transfer protocol (“HTTP”), which is“http://host_port/path/service?querystring”. In the template, the“<xxx>” represents the portal-related parameters for which integrationcomponent 180 obtains values when generating the URL. The “˜” symbolrepresents those parameters defined by the target system (e.g., server135 (FIG. 1) and/or application 130). The “˜” symbol is used in aspecific vendors system and other systems can have different precedingsymbols to represent a system parameter or can have no special precedingsymbol. These are the resource-related parameters. The template maps theportal-related parameters to the resource-related parameters and enablesportal 115 to pass portal-related data to the network resource. Someonewho has knowledge of both portal-related parameters and resource-relatedparameters generates the template. This can be, for example, anadministrator of communication network 100 (FIG. 1) or a programmer of anetwork application.

[0040] Continuing with FIG. 3, integration component 180 generates 315 aURL using the template. Integration component 180 parses 320 thetemplate to determine 325 whether there is a portal-related parameter inthe template that integration component 180 has not yet processed. Ifthere is a portal-related parameter, integration component 180identifies 330 the parameter. In the example template, integrationcomponent 180 determines 325 there is a portal-related parameter andidentifies 330 the parameter as “<system.access_point.protocol>.”Integration component 180 determines 335 that the values for thisprotocol parameter can be http, https, and s-http. As described above,integration component 180, as part of portal 115, has access to thesystem landscape information for network 100. For example, systemlandscape information can be part of a database with network resourceinformation that indicates that application 130 executes on server 135and is available through access point 170 using http. Alternatively,integration component 180 can query access point 170 to determineallowable protocols.

[0041] Integration component 180 selects the value https so that theURL, which will contain user credentials, is passed securely (e.g.,encrypted) to the access point, as described in more detail below.Integration component 180 concatenates 340 the value of the parameter tothe URL. Because this is the first parameter, its value is the firstelement of the concatenation. The concatenation starts as “https”.Integration component 180 continues to parse 320 the template todetermine 325 whether there is another portal-related parameterremaining in the template that integration component 180 has not yetprocessed. While parsing the template, integration component 180 furthergenerates the URL by concatenating those elements of the template thatare not portal-related parameters. The URL becomes “https://” whenintegration component 180 identifies 330 the next portal-relatedparameter <system.access_point.host>. Similarly as described above,integration component 180 determines 335 a value for this next parameterand concatenates this value to the URL. These actions 320, 325, 330,335, and 340, continue until integration component 180 determines 335values for all of the portal-related parameters of the template andgenerates 315 a complete URL. Using the example template, integrationcomponent 180 can generate a complete URL as follows:https://server_(—)135/Application_Related_Path/webgui?˜transaction=SW04&˜client=050&˜accessibility=true&˜style=jsmithl.css&˜.&˜authentication=(jsmith, password)

[0042] As described above, integration component 180 defines a frame fora view 210 (FIG. 2) and generates source code (e.g., HTML) that enablesbrowser 110 to render the frame. Integration component 180 adds 345 thecomplete URL to the source code so that browser 110 can launchapplication 130 and display the output of application 130 in the definedframe. The complete URL of the example includes user credentials (e.g.,a username and a password) in the query portion of the URL. When the URLtravels through network 125, using https, the URL is encrypted and sothe user credentials are secure. However, when the URL is at client 105and when Web server 170 decrypts the URL, the URL, along with the usercredentials, is exposed and has the potential to be discovered byanother party. To minimize and eliminate this potential, integrationcomponent 180 includes two aspects with the source code. The firstaspect is the use of a redirect. The redirect causes browser 115 toreplace the source code containing the user credentials with source codewithout the user credentials immediately after browser 115 makes arequest with the URL. The second aspect is the use of a “post” commandwith the URL. The use of a “post” command causes Web server 170 to logthe portion of the URL preceding the query string and to not log theinformation (e.g., user credentials) in the query portion of the URL.

[0043]FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate processes 400 and 400′, respectively,that employ one or both of these aspects. More specifically, process 400does not include a redirect and process 401′ does include a redirect.Integration component 180 employs process 400 when a frame exists intowhich application output can be rendered, and a redirect is not neededif the frame (e.g., for a view 210) exists. If the frame view does yetnot exist in display 200, integration component 180 generates sourcecode (e.g., html) to render the frame (e.g., for a view 210). Becausethis source code to generate a frame will be available in a browser 110,via view source, as long as the frame is rendered, a URL (with the usercredentials) in this source code would also be available. Thusintegration component 180 uses the redirect in process 400′ to havebrowser 115 render the frame and then go back to integration component180 to retrieve the URL_(APP) (with the user credentials) and use thatURL_(APP) to retrieve the content to display within the frame.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4A, integration component 180 generates (405) aURL, with user credentials, indicating the source of data to be renderedin an existing view 210 and adds the URL to the source code. Integrationcomponent 180 transmits (415) the source code to browser 115 to enablebrowser 115 to render output produced from the application indicated inthe URL within the existing view 210. Browser 115 parses (420) thesource code. In response to the code, browser 115 generates (450) a POSTrequest using the URL with the user credentials. Browser 115 transmits(455) the POST request to the Web server 170 over network 125. Asdescribed above, communication between browser 115 and Web server 170conforms to https, so that the user credentials in the URL are encryptedand not discoverable while the request is in transit over network 125.

[0045] Web server 170 receives (460) the POST request. Web server 170logs (465) a portion of the POST request, but does not log the queryportion of the request including the user credentials because browser115 employs a POST command. The query portion of the URL in a POSTrequest is part of the request body and hidden from the Web server 170.Web server 170 receives the response to the request generated by server135 and forwards (480) the response to browser 115. Browser 115 receivesthe response and displays (485) data from the response in theappropriate existing view 210.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 4B, integration component 180 generates (405) aURL_(APP), with user credentials, indicating the source of data to berendered in a view 210 that must be generated. If integration component180 determines that a view 210 does not currently exist in portaldisplay 200, integration component 180 also generates a URL_(RT) toredirect the browser 115 back to integration component 180 after browser115 generates a view 210 in which the URL_(APP) source is displayed(485). URL_(RT) points back to the integration component. The roundtripURL_(RT) doesn't contain any user credentials but only a roundtrip keythat is valid only for one roundtrip. The information that is needed tocompute the application URL_(APP) (including user credentials) is savedin portal 115 using this key so that the integration component 180 canresume the process to compute the application URL (URL_(APP)).

[0047] The Integration component 180 adds the URL_(RT) to the sourcecode to generate view 210 and transmits this source code to browser 115.Integration component 180 transmits (415) the source code to browser115. Browser 115 parses (420) the source code and generates (425) aframe for view 210 in which data is displayed (485). With the framerendered, browser 115 refers to URL_(RT) for the source. In response tothe URL_(RT), browser 115 performs a redirect back to integrationcomponent 180. Integration component 180 receives (435) the redirectrequest and restores (440) the URL_(APP)., including user credentials,based on the identifier in the URL_(RT). Integration component 180transmits (445) the source code with the URL_(APP) to browser 115 forprocessing.

[0048] The result of the roundtrip URL is the same as the result of theexisting view 210 case of process 400. The redirect response generates(450′) a POST request that points to the remote application and replacesitself in order to obscure the user credentials. Browser 115 transmits(455′) the POST request, with target=“_self” to the Web server 170 overnetwork 125. As described above, communication between browser 115 andWeb server 170 conforms to https, so that the user credentials in theURL are encrypted and not discoverable while the request is in transitover network 125.

[0049] Web server 170 receives (460) the POST request. Web server 170logs (465) a portion of the POST request, but does not log the queryportion of the request including the user credentials because browser115 employs a POST command. The query portion of the URL in a POSTrequest is part of the request body and hidden from the Web server 170.Web server 170 receives the response to the request generated by server135 and forwards (480) the response to browser 115. Browser 115 receivesthe response and displays (485) data from the response in theappropriate view 210.

[0050] Various implementations of the systems and techniques describedhere can be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integratedcircuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integratedcircuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinationsthereof. These various implementations can include one or more computerprograms that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmablesystem including at least one programmable processor, which may bespecial or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, atleast one input device, and at least one output device.

[0051] These computer programs (also known as programs, software,software applications or code) may include machine instructions for aprogrammable processor, and can be implemented in a high-levelprocedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or inassembly/machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readablemedium” refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device(e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices(PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to aprogrammable processor, including a machine-readable medium thatreceives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term“machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machineinstructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

[0052] The systems and techniques described here can be implemented in acomputing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a dataserver), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an applicationserver), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computerhaving a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a usercan interact with an implementation of the systems and techniquesdescribed here), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, orfront-end components. The components of the system can be interconnectedby any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., acommunication network). Examples of communication networks include alocal area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), an intranet,the Internet, and wireless networks, such as a wireless WAN.

[0053] The computing system can include clients and servers. A clientand server are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0054] Although only a few embodiments have been described in detailabove, other modifications are possible. For example, portions of thisdisclosure discuss a particular format of the template. The structure ofthe template can change based on the system landscape. For example, ifan application is not on a backend network and has no access point, someparameters will change (e.g., <system.protocol>, <system.host>,<system.path>). If a system with a desired resource employs a differentnetwork protocol, the format of the template is adjusted to comply withthe format of that different network protocol. As another alternative,the source code transmitted to the browser can include a JAVA appletthat utilizes a telnet client to communicate with the backend resource.

[0055] Additionally, the logic flows depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 do notrequire the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achievedesirable results. For example the repeating of actions 320, 325, 330,and 335 may be performed in parallel instead of in series by the orderin which the parameters appear. In certain implementations, multitaskingand parallel processing of the parameters may be preferable. In such acase concatenation can be performed using the template as a guide toorder the parallel processes.

[0056] Other embodiments may be within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying, with atemplate, a correspondence between a first parameter associated with aportal and a second parameter associated with a network resource; andgenerating, using the template, a network address for the networkresource, the network address including a value for the first parameter.2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating further comprises: parsingthe template; identifying the first parameter; and determining the valuefor the first parameter.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein generatingfurther comprises: identifying a third parameter associated with theportal; determining a second value for the third parameter; andinserting the second value into the network address.
 4. The method ofclaim 3 wherein inserting comprises concatenating.
 5. The method ofclaim 2 wherein determining further comprises determining the value forthe first parameter based on a user, a client device, or the portal. 6.The method of claim 1 wherein generating further comprises: copying thetemplate; determining the value for the first parameter; and replacingthe first parameter with the value.
 7. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising transmitting the network address to a network browser.
 8. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the network address toa network browser as part of source code.
 9. The method of claim 8further comprising generating a portion of a display associated with theportal using the source code.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein thefirst parameter comprises a transaction code, a client definition, anaccessibility requirement, a style definition, or user credentials. 11.The method of claim 1 wherein the format of the template comprises aUniform Resource Locator (“URL”) format.
 12. The method of claim 11wherein the format of the template comprises a URL format in accord withhttp.
 13. A method comprising generating a template for use by a networkportal, the template being associated with a network application andincluding a correspondence between a first parameter associated with thenetwork portal and a second parameter associated with the networkapplication.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising transmittingthe template to the network portal.
 15. The method of claim 13 whereinthe first parameter comprises a transaction code, a client definition,an accessibility requirement, a style definition, or user credentials.16. The method of claim 13 wherein the network application is a backendapplication.
 17. The method of claim 13 wherein the format of thetemplate comprises a URL format.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein theformat of the template comprises a URL format in accord with http.
 19. Asystem comprising: a storage component having a template including acorrespondence between a first parameter associated with a portal and asecond parameter associated with a network resource; and an integrationcomponent configured to use the template to generate a network addressfor the network resource wherein the network address includes a valuefor the first parameter.
 20. The system of claim 19 wherein theintegration component is further configured to parse the template, toidentify the first parameter and to determine the value for the firstparameter.
 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the value is a first valueand the integration component is further configured to identify a thirdparameter associated with the portal, to determine a second value forthe third parameter, and to insert the second value into the networkaddress.
 22. The system of claim 21 wherein the integration component isfurther configured to concatenate the first value and the second value.23. The system of claim 19 wherein the value for the first parameter isbased on a user, a client device, or the portal.
 24. The system of claim19 wherein the integration component is further configured to copy thetemplate, to determine the value for the first parameter, and to replacethe first parameter with the value.
 25. The system of claim 19 whereinthe integration component is further configured to transmit the networkaddress to a network browser.
 26. The system of claim 19 wherein theintegration component is further configured to transmit the networkaddress to a network browser as part of source code.
 27. The system ofclaim 26 further comprising a client configured to generate a portion ofa display associated with the portal using the source code.
 28. Thesystem of claim 19 wherein the first parameter comprises a transactioncode, a client definition, an accessibility requirement, a styledefinition, or user credentials.
 29. The system of claim 19 wherein theformat of the template comprises a URL format.
 30. The system of claim29 wherein the format of the template comprises a URL format in accordwith http.
 31. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storinginstructions operable to cause one or more machines to performoperations comprising: identifying, with a template, a correspondencebetween a first parameter associated with a portal and a secondparameter associated with a network resource; and generating, using thetemplate, a network address for the network resource, the networkaddress including a value for the first parameter.
 32. An articlecomprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable tocause one or more machines to perform operations comprising: generatinga template for use by a network portal, the template being associatedwith a network application and including a correspondence between afirst parameter associated with the network portal and a secondparameter associated with the network application.